Supplemental aib-intake device fob gas-engines



. I. H. SEEK.

SUPPLEMENTAL AIR INTAKE DEVICE FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-4.19M.

1,393,172. Patented 0615. 11, 1921.

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I Arrow a UNITED STATES JAMES H. SEEK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SUPPLEMENTAL AIR-INTAKE DEVICE FOR GAS-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

Application filed August 4, 1917. Serial No. 184,475.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. SEEK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sup plemental Air-Intake Devices for Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a supplemental air intake device for hydrocarbon engines for the purpose of admitting atmospheric air into the fuel mixture when the engine becomes hot. This additional air is admitted into the manifold at some suitable point intermediate the carbureter and the cylinders for the purpose of reducing the vacuum or suction on the contents of the carburetor, so that less fuel is used.

Supplemental air intake devices of this general character have been in use, and it is the purpose of the present invention to pro vide a supplemental air intake device of simple construction which operates automatically and obviates'the necessity of providing manual operating means. Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of this character which is operated by the temperature of the engine and therefore automatically proportions the quantity of additional air admitted to the conditions of the engine.

I obtain the foregoing, together with such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter appear, by means of a construction the preferred embodiment of which I have shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an intake manifold showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale of the device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 2 showing the working parts in end elevation, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of certain of the details of my invention.

It is well known in the operation of gasolene engines, particularly those used on automobiles, that when an engine is first started and is cold, a richer mixture is required than is necessary when the engine becomes warm, consequently in ordinary practice the engine after it becomes warm is running on a richer mixture than is necessary, which of course results in wastage in fuel. To effect a saving in fuel, it has been customary to provide manually operated means, either operating directly on the car bureter or operating a secondary air intake device such as above described. In the latter type of apparatus, after the engine becomes warm, the driver opens the supplemental air intake and introduces air into the manifold at a point between the carbureter and the cylinders with the result that the cylinders on suction stroke draw from both the supplemental air intake and from the carburoter. The vacuum or suction on the carbureter is therefore less, and less volumes of the explosive mixture are drawn from the carbureter, which of course tends to economy in operation.

According to my invention, I provide a supplemental air intake device which I have indicated as a whole at A, such device comprising a disk 7 having a threaded nipple 8 projecting centrally therefrom and adapted to be threaded into the manifold 9, at any desired point, the manifold being suitably tapped for this purpose. On the opposite face of the disk 7 and in alinement with the nipple 8, the disk is provided with a boss 10 which is adapted to receive an open-ended sleeve 11, such sleeve being held in position by means of the screw 12, which is turned into the central portion of the disk 7, the head of the screw closing the outer end of the sleeve 11 in the manner indicated in Fig. 4. The nipple 8 is hollow and the disk is apertured as at 13 so that communication with the interior of the manifold and the interior of the sleeve 11 is provided. In the wall of the sleeve 11, I provide a port 14 for the admission of the supplemental air, such port being controlled by a cylindrical valve member 15, which is mounted on and is adapted to rotate about the sleeve 11, the end 15 of the valve being adapted to cover and uncover the port 14, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. The valve 15 is operated by a horseshoe thermostatic member 16, prefer ably bi-metallic, with the metal constituting the exterior thereof having a greater co-eflicient of expansion than the metal' on the inside. The thermostat is secured to the pin 17 by a screw 18 or other suitable means and the end 15 of the valve 15 is interlocked with the end 16 of the thermostat. The device is protected by the cap 19, and air is admitted through the ports 20 formed in the disk 7, this arrangement of the ports being designed to subject the thermostat to the heat of the engine and to also draw the supplemental air from a point where least exposed to grease and dirt.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the engine is cold, the thermostat is in normal condition and the port 1 1 is covered by the valve 15, so that, when starting the engine, the contents of the carbureter are subjected to the full vacuum or suction of the engine, whereby a rich mixture is drawn into the cylinders. As the engine becomes Warm and heats the air under the hood, the thermostat becomes heated and, because of its construction, the end 1G begins to move inwardly in the direction of the arrow and causes the valve 15 to rotate about the sleeve 11, so as to gradually uncover the port 14. As the port 14 is uncovered, additional air is sucked into the manifold which reduces the suction on the carbureter and thus reduces the volume of explosive mixture drawn therefrom. As the engine gets hotter, the thermostat opens the valve 15 wider and cor respondingly greater volumes of supplemental air are drawn into the manifold, thus further cutting down the amount of explosive mixture drawn from the carburetor. As the engine cools off, the operation is reversed.

By virtue of the manner in which the sleeve 11 is mounted, it is posible to adjust the relation of the port 14 with respect to the end 15 of the valve 15, and thereby determine at what temperature the valve will begin to uncover the port and also to vary the degree to which the valve will be opened. This is done by loosening the screw 12 and rotating the sleeve 11 slightly in either direction about the screw as an axis of rotation. The same result can be obtained by bending the horseshoe thermostat 16 with a length of the nipple 8 as may be required for clearance purposes.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a simple and effective device for introducing supplemental air into the manifold, for the purposes set forth, such device being automatic in its operation and automatically proportioning the area of the supplemental air intake opening to the working conditions of the engine.

It may be desirable in some cases to add means for rendering the thermostat temporarily ineffective. This is desirable, for example, when the car is moving up a steep grade and the engine is working hard, in which event, even assuming that the engine is hot, it is necessary to have a richer mixture. My improvement can be readily accommodated to meet this condition by providing a loop or eye 21 on the thermostat 16 into which eye the end of the pivoted weighted dog 22 projects. lVhen the car is running on the level the dog is in the position indicated in Fig. 3, inwhich position ample clearance is provided between the end of the dog and the loop 21 to permit of the normal operation on the thermostat. When however, the car is moving up a steep grade, the weight will shift and cause the end of the dog to bear against the loop 21 and move the thermostat back toward normal closed position, thus increasing the suction on the contents of the carbureter, as will be readily understood. This, however, is a refinement of the invention which may be dispensed with.

I claim:

A supplemental air intake device for hydrocarbon engines comprisin an air conduit, a valve governing said conduit, thermostatic means controlling said valve, and gravity operated means adapted to render said first means substantially ineffective.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

JAMES H. SEEK. 

